Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, discusses the influence of the United States on common and organized crime in Central America, and offers policy recommendations for what the United States could do domestically and internationally to mitigate the violence.

Julia E. Sweig argues the United States has been a marginal actor in Latin America, but this could change in the Obama administration's second term.

Julia E. Sweig argues that Hugo Chavez never fulfilled his more ambitious plans for the region, but the polarizing Venezuelan leader can take at least partial credit for helping redefine South America's institutional architecture.

Julia E. Sweig argues that President Obama has an opportunity to revitalize U.S. relations with its neighbors to the south.

Claudio M. Loser and Antoine W. van Agtmael discuss perspectives on how Latin American countries have weathered the global financial crisis and assess what is at stake for the region's economies in the future.

Claudio Loser and Antoine van Agtmael discuss perspectives on how Latin American countries have weathered the global financial crisis and assess what is at stake for the region's economies in the future.

CFR Senior Fellow Isobel Coleman speaks with Boris Weber, director of ICT4Gov at the World Bank Institute, on how technology is being leveraged to promote good governance and increased transparency in fragile states and emerging markets.

This was a meeting of the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Roundtable series.

Jose W. Fernandez and Michael Shifter, author of the new Council Special Report, Countering Criminal Violence in Central America, discuss U.S. and regional efforts to mitigate the violence.

Jose W. Fernandez and Michael Shifter, author of the new Council Special Report, Countering Criminal Violence in Central America, discuss U.S. and regional efforts to mitigate the violence.

Jose W. Fernandez and Michael Shifter, author of the new Council Special Report, Countering Criminal Violence in Central America, discuss U.S. and regional efforts to mitigate the violence.

Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, discusses his new Council Special Report, Countering Criminal Violence in Central America.

This meeting is made possible in part by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

"Flanked by the coca-producing countries of the Andes and the world's leading consumer of illegal drugs—the United States—Central America is a strategic choke point for illicit trade," writes Michael Shifter, president of Inter-American Dialogue, in a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Special Report, Countering Criminal Violence in Central America.

The author assesses the causes and consequences of the violence faced by several Central American countries and examines the national, regional, and international efforts intended to curb its worst effects.

The U.S. Department of State released this fact sheet on the Central America Regional Security Initiative on February 6, 2012.

Grupo Salinas chairman and founder Ricardo Salinas discusses the challenges of doing business in Latin America with CFR Board Member Donna Hrinak.

The U.S. ratification of the stalled Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama indicates that "there is a possibility, despite the very great partisan divisions in Congress, of bipartisan cooperation on economic issues," says CFR's Edward Alden. However, Alden emphasizes that "it is important not to overstate the potential job creation benefits" of the agreements.

Joel D. Hirst explains how the Honduras Truth Commission concluded that the removal of President Manuel Zelaya was a coup while at the same time concluding that Zelaya was breaking the law when he disregarded a Supreme Court ruling ordering him to cancel a referendum allowing for presidential reelection.

Joel D. Hirst says the Obama Administration's "reset button" on failed policies in Latin America could not come at a better moment, and there is still time to undo the damage.

The McKinsey Executive Roundtable Series in International Economics is presented by the Corporate Program and the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies.